WORK OR TESTING ON RING MAIN UNITS OPSAF-11-065 WITHOUT A BUSBAR EARTH FACILITY WITH Issue No. 2 THE CIRCUIT BREAKER CABLE BOX LIVE 1. SCOPE This document details the Approved procedure for work or testing on 33kV ring main units where the cable connected to the circuit breaker cable box remains Live, but the absence of a busbar earthing facility prevents the application of Basic Safety Rule A3, CSI 1 and OPSAF-10-003 (PSSI 3). This procedure confirms in writing the Approved manner for work or testing to proceed in order to comply with General Provision GP3 – Special Instructions. 2. ISSUE RECORD This is a Reference document. The current version is held on the EN Document Library. It is your responsibility to ensure you work to the current version. Issue Date Issue No Author Amendment Details January 2012 Issue 1 Dave Naylor Initial Issue: 5 Page Document February 2019 Issue 2 Dave Naylor To reflect the withdrawal of OPSAF-11-021 (MSP 2.10) 3. ISSUE AUTHORITY Author Owner Issue Authority Name: Dave Naylor Name: Gary Evans Name: Colin Taylor Title: Operational Safety Title: Operational Assurance Title: Director Processes and Engineer Manager Technology 4. REVIEW This is a Reference document which has a five year retention period after which a reminder will be issued to review and extend retention or archive. DISTRIBUTION This document is part of the Management Safety Procedures but does not have a maintained distribution list. © SP Power Systems Limited 1 of 6 MSP 2.4.15 WORK OR TESTING ON RING MAIN UNITS OPSAF-11-065 WITHOUT A BUSBAR EARTH FACILITY WITH Issue No. 2 THE CIRCUIT BREAKER CABLE BOX LIVE 5. CONTENTS 1. SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................ 1 2. ISSUE RECORD ............................................................................................................................. 1 3. ISSUE AUTHORITY ........................................................................................................................ 1 4. REVIEW .......................................................................................................................................... 1 DISTRIBUTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 5. CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 2 6. RELATED DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................................ 2 7. DEFINITIONS .................................................................................................................................. 2 8. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 3 9. APPROVED PROCEDURE ............................................................................................................ 4 6. RELATED DOCUMENTS ScottishPower Safety Rules (Electrical & Mechanical) 4th Edition 7. DEFINITIONS Terms printed in bold are as defined in the ScottishPower Safety Rules (Electrical and Mechanical) 4th Edition. The following abbreviations are also used throughout the document: RMU Ring main unit CB Circuit breaker RSW Ring switch © SP Power Systems Limited 2 of 6 MSP 2.4.15 WORK OR TESTING ON RING MAIN UNITS OPSAF-11-065 WITHOUT A BUSBAR EARTH FACILITY WITH Issue No. 2 THE CIRCUIT BREAKER CABLE BOX LIVE 8. INTRODUCTION Work or testing on the RMU or transformer at a conventional SPM 33kV RMU substation where the RMU is connected to plain feeder cables is usually carried out by applying the requirements of the Safety Rules, with Primary Earths applied at the substations either side of the one where work or testing is to take place which ensures there is a Primary Earth between the point of work and each HV Point of Isolation. In certain situations there is a second transformer present at the substation that is solidly breeched onto the feeder cable connected to the RMU circuit breaker– see diagram below. Substation B Substation A Substation C NB: switchgear could be CB or RSW NB: switchgear could be CB or RSW T2 T1 Ring Main Unit For work or testing on the RMU at substation A it is often not reasonably practicable for both of the transformers to be Isolated. In most cases the RMU has a busbar earthing facility enabling the cable connected to T2 to remain Live and the requirements of Basic Safety Rule A3, CSI 1 and OPSAF-10- 003 (PSSI 3) to be met by applying a Primary Earth to the RMU busbars. This Approved procedure is required for cases where the RMU to be worked on or tested has no busbar earthing facility - preventing the application of a Primary Earth between the point of work or testing and a Point of Isolation. © SP Power Systems Limited 3 of 6 MSP 2.4.15 WORK OR TESTING ON RING MAIN UNITS OPSAF-11-065 WITHOUT A BUSBAR EARTH FACILITY WITH Issue No. 2 THE CIRCUIT BREAKER CABLE BOX LIVE 9. APPROVED PROCEDURE This procedure covers work or testing on the RMU at Substation A as shown in the diagram in section 8. Before the application of this procedure, the normal requirements to achieve Safety from the System shall be met in full. The basic principle is that all HV Apparatus on which work or testing is to be carried out shall be connected to a Primary Earth prior to issue of the Permit for Work. The required precautions are summarised in the diagram below and listed explicitly in sections 9.1 to 9.4. Substation A Substation A circuit Earthed Busbar shutters – circuit Isolated appropriately for closed and Locked appropriately for the switchgear Circuit shutters (operational lock) the switchgear applicable closed and applicable Safety Locked Substation B Substation A Substation C LIVE LIVE Danger Notices posted on RMU 33kV circuit shutters Both RSWs closed and substation B to ON and Locked cable box. (operational lock) T2 T1 Tap changer VT - circuit supply Isolated shutters closed and Safety Locked or LV fuses removed and retained Transformer T1 11kV panel CB – closed to Circuit Earth and Safety Locked LIVE 11kV panel busbar shutters – closed and Safety Locked 9.1 Isolation At substation A: 1. The 33/11kV transformer T1 11kV panel busbar shutters – closed and Safety Locked 2. The 33/11kV transformer T1 11kV/415V VT - circuit shutters closed and Safety Locked or LV fuses removed and retained as appropriate 3. The 33/11kV transformer T1 tap changer supply Isolated 4. The substation B 33kV panel circuit shutters – closed and Safety Locked At substation C: 1. The substation A circuit Isolated appropriately for the switchgear applicable (RSW or CB as appropriate). Note – Caution Notices shall be applied at all Points of Isolation. © SP Power Systems Limited 4 of 6 MSP 2.4.15 WORK OR TESTING ON RING MAIN UNITS OPSAF-11-065 WITHOUT A BUSBAR EARTH FACILITY WITH Issue No. 2 THE CIRCUIT BREAKER CABLE BOX LIVE 9.2 Earthing At substation A: 1. The 33/11kV transformer T1 11kV panel CB – closed to Circuit Earth and Safety Locked. At substation C: 1. The substation A circuit Earthed appropriately for the switchgear applicable (RSW or CB as appropriate). Where the circuit between substations A and C includes an overhead line section, in addition to the Earth applied at substation C, a portable Primary Earth or a portable Drain Earth, as appropriate, shall be applied to the overhead line as near as reasonably practicable to substation A. 9.3 Additional Locking At substation A: 1. The substation B 33kV panel busbar shutters – closed and Locked (operational lock) 2. The substation C RSW – closed to ‘ON’ and Locked (operational lock) 3. The 33/11kV transformer T1 RSW - closed to ‘ON’ and Locked (operational lock) 9.4 Additional precautions to be taken In addition to any site-specific demarcation or other further precautions identified: Danger Notices shall be posted on the RMU at substation A as follows and recorded on the Safety Document: 1. On the substation B 33kV panel circuit shutters 2. On the substation B 33kV feeder cable box Immediately before issuing a Safety Document, at substation A the 33kV RMU busbar spouts shall be unlocked, proved not Live using an Approved voltage indicator, and re-locked. The voltage indicator shall be tested immediately before and after use. 9.5 Safety Document A single Safety Document may be issued for work or testing on all of the Isolated and Earthed components of the 33kV RMU at substation A. No other Safety Document shall be in force on associated plant or Apparatus while work or testing takes place under this procedure. This procedure only enables work or testing on the RMU at substation A. It does not enable work or testing on other Plant or Apparatus at the substation, e.g. for work or testing on the 33/11kV transformer T1 then a separate Safety Document shall be issued, after the cancellation of the Safety Document issued under this procedure, with appropriate precautions taken to achieve Safety from the System. For work under this procedure, the Safety Document shall state that work or testing is to be in accordance with this procedure and a copy of this procedure shall be issued with the Safety Document. The Safety Document shall specify the sequence of work or testing to be undertaken such that during the course of work or testing, Apparatus to be worked on or tested shall be Earthed by means of Switching that connects it to a Primary Earth. The sequence may, therefore,